PM Tools and Tips

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 7/31/2019 PM Tools and Tips

    1/4

    ImplementingtheEBSprojectmanagementframeworkItisathreestageprocessofscoping,planningandmanaging.

    Theframeworkestablishesfundamentalprinciplestoachieveconsistencyinprojectmanagement.Itdetailsaprocessthatcanbetailoredtoanysizeortypeofproject.

    Itspecifiestherolesandresponsibilitiesofthekeyplayers,includingapprovalsteps,guidelinesonprojectmanagementbestpracticeanddocumenttemplates.

    Theimplementationofaprojectmanagementframeworkhas,overtime,engenderedaculturewhichpromotes:

    ImprovedreliabilityofprojectsuccessGreatercommunicationbetweenprojectteammembersandprojectstakeholdersSolutionsthatmaximisestakeholdersatisfactionPlanningofthetotalprojectlifecyclebeforecommittingresourcesAfocusonreviewingandimprovingtheprocess

    Ingeneral,projectPlanincludes-what,why,whereandwhen,alsoconsidersdestablishesprojectpolicies.

    ScopeOneofthekeyfunctionsofbudgetplanningfortechnicalprojectsistodefine

    thescopeoftheprojectandputinplacecontrolstoensureitdoesn'tgrow.Agoodapproachistodefinethemajorcostelementsinadvance,breakthemdownintotheircomponents,thenlimittheauthorizationtoapproveextras.Inthisway,ifadditionalmaterialisrequired,theprojectmanagercanmakethenecessaryadjustmentsinthebudget,assigncostsandpossiblyrecouptheoverrunelsewhere.Shemayalsodecidethattheextramaterialisnot,infact,needed.Thesamerequirementsapplytotheothersegmentsofbudgetplanningactivity.

    GanttChartvsWBSTheWBSbreaksdownwhatyouarebuildingfortheprojectintosmaller,moremanageablecomponents.YouwouldusetheWBSforscopecontrol,includingchangemanagement,andyouwouldusetheGanttchartforschedulecontrol.

    ProjectManagementChecklist/Template1.Conductateammeetingtobrainstormideasabouttheelementstobetrackedandmonitoredforyourproject2.TypeaquestionsuchasAreprojectobjectivesdefined?3."Hasthebusinesscasebeendeveloped?""Hasriskbeenassessed?""Haveyourbusinessfunctionsbeenidentified?""Havetheprojectmilestonesbeenmet?""Havequalityrequirementsbeenmet?""Istheprojectwithinbudget?"and"Havecompletionapprovalsbeenreceived?"4.

    YoucanuploadanMSProjectfileintoaSharePointlibraryandshareitwithotherusersjustaswithatextorspreadsheetdocument.YoucanuploadtheMSPro

    jectfileintoeitherauserorgroupcollaborativedirectory,whereitcanbedownloadedbythosewiththeappropriatepermissions,changed,thenuploadedbacktotheSharePointserver.WhatdoesaprojectManagerDo?Typicallyaprojectmanagerwillbenominatedtoleadaprojectandwillbeexpectedtobefullyaccountableformeetingitsobjectives.Theprojectmanagerwillbetheleaderoftheprojectteamandwillberesponsibleforensuringthefollowingarecompletedinatimelyway:-

    Gainingapprovalfortheprojectaimandtermsofreference

  • 7/31/2019 PM Tools and Tips

    2/4

    SelectingandleadingtheteamandsettingindividualobjectivesEnsuringafeasibilitystudyiscompleteEnsuringthattheprojectisplannedinappropriatedetailAllocatingandmonitoringtheworkandcostMotivatingtheteamReportingprogressbacktotheorganisationHelpingtheteamtosolveprojectproblemsAchieve,throughtheteam,thegoalsReviewingandclosingdown

    ProjectManagementUnderstandingwhyITprojectsfailandpreventingfailure.DefiningeffectiveITprojectchartersandrequirements.OrganizingITroadmapsintomanageableprojects.Capturing,creating,andusinghistoricaldata.Establishing"soft"and"hard"projectmetricsandmilestones.Definingprojectscope,andavoidingscopecreep.Identifyingandmanagingstakeholdersandexpectations.ChoosingtherightPMtoolsforyourneedsincludingin-house,hosted,andcloud-basedsolutions.

    WhatisSWOTAnalysis?SWOTisanacronymforStrengths,Weaknesses,Oppportunities,andThreats.SWOTAnalysisisatoolthatenablesasubjectiveassessmentofagivensituationor

    subjectinordertomakecriticaldecisionsthatarerelatedtoplanningandriskmanagement.NowthatyouknowwhatisSWOTAnalysis,let'sseehowSWOTAnalysisisusefulinprojectmanagement.

    DuringaProjectKickoff,theoutputofaSWOTAnalysiscanprovideyoukeyinputsforcreatingtheprojectplans.Forexample,ifaspecificsectionorsetofactivitiesofaprojectarebeingoutsourced,aSWOTAnalysiscanhelpyoudeterminetherisksandopportunitiesassociatedwitheachoutsourcedvendorthatisbeingconsidered.Youcanthencreatetheplansaccordingly.Therefore,SWOTAnalysisisusefulforRiskManagementandResourceManagement.Forexample,youcanconductaSWOTAnalysistoidentifyrisksandthencalculatetheExpectedMonetaryValue.

    Next,let'sseehowtodoaSWOTanalysis,butbeforethatlet'slookataSWOTAnalysistemplate.

    Whatisaprojectmilestone?amilestoneistheendofastagethatmarksthecompletionofaworkpackageorphase,typicallymarkedbyahighlevelevent

    Whatisprojectfloat?ProjectFloat:thecushionyouprovideyourselfb4committingadatetocustomer.

    Whatisprojectcharter?TheProjectCharterdetailstheprojectpurpose,overview,goals,and

    high-leveldeliverables.Whataretheelementsinaprojectcharter?Theprojectoverview-Aprojectoverviewcontainsadescriptionofthebusinessneed,purpose,andproductorservicethatistobeprovided.?Preliminaryrolesandresponsibilities-Thissectiondescribesthedutiesoftheprojectteam.Thisincludespeoplewhoshouldbeinvolvedandwhyandhowtheymightbeinvolved.Thismightincludecustomers,stakeholders,andtheprojectteam.?Identificationoftheprojectmanager-Theprojectmanageridentificationdesignates

  • 7/31/2019 PM Tools and Tips

    3/4

    theprojectmanagerwhohasprimaryprojectoversightresponsibility.?Adescriptionoftheprojectmanager'sauthority-Thedescriptionoftheprojectmanager'sauthorityoutlinesthelevelofauthoritygiventotheprojectmanager.Thiswouldincludefinancialoversightandlevelofdecisionmaking.?Sign-off-Thisistheapprovalrequiredfromtheproject'ssponsortogivethego-aheadtotheproject

    WhatisEVM?howwillyouuseitinmanagingprojects?EarnedValueManagementisamanagementmethodologyforintegratingscope,schedule,andresources,andforobjectivelymeasuringprojectperformanceandprogress.

    Whatisaproject?andwhatisaprogram?Aprojectisatemporaryendeavorundertakentocreateauniqueproduct,serviceorresult.Thetemporarynatureofprojectsindicatesadefinitebeginningandend.Theendisreachedwhentheproject?sobjectiveshavebeenachievedorwhentheprojectisterminatedbecauseitsobjectiveswillnotorcannotbemet,orwhentheneedfor

    theprojectnolongerexists.Aprogramisaplannedsequenceandcombinationofactivitiesdesignedtoachievespecifiedgoals.

    Whatareprojectselectionmethods?Projectselectionmethodsaredefinedtoshowtheprojectisworth?takingit.Strategicgoalsoforganization,MarketNeed,TechnologicalAdvancement,CompetitiveAdvantage,Profitability,Project/PortfolioManagementOffice(PMO),Sponsor?sarekeyinprojectselection.

    Whatisriskmanagementandhowwillyouplanriskresponse?Theprocessofdete

    rminingthemaximumacceptablelevelofoverallrisktoandfromaproposedactivity,thenusingriskassessmenttechniquestodeterminetheinitiallevelofriskand,ifthisisexcessive,developingastrategytoameliorateappropriateindividualrisksuntiltheoveralllevelofriskisreducedtoanacceptablelevel.Theplanisfrequentlyappliedintheprojectmanagementsoftwareasaseriesoftasksinadditiontothosethatwereontheoriginalactivitylist.Theriskmitigationplanmayalso

    Whatareoutputsofprojectclosure?Projectclosureisthelastphaseinthepr

    ojectlifecycle,andmustbeconductedformallysothatthebusinessbenefitsdeliveredbytheprojectarefullyrealizedbythecustomer.Diditresultinthebenefitsdefinedinthebusinesscase?Diditachievetheobjectivesoutlinedinthetermsofreference?Diditoperatewithinthescopeofthetermsofreference?Didthedeliverablesmeetthecriteriadefinedinthequalityplan?Wasitdeliveredwithinthescheduleoutlinedintheprojectplan?Wasitdeliveredwithinthebu

  • 7/31/2019 PM Tools and Tips

    4/4

    dgetoutlinedinthefinancialplan?

    Whatarethemethodsusedforprojectestimation?Thethreemethodsforprojectestimationincludeequations,comparison,andanalogy.

    Inthisfield(thefieldyouareinterviewingfor),whatarethreecriticallyimportantthingsyoumustdowellasaprojectmanagerinorderfortheprojecttosucceed?Thethreecriticallyimportantthingstodoiscreatethefeatureslist,goalslistandworkitemslist.88.Whatmetricswouldyouexpecttousetodeterminetheon-goingsuccessofyourproject?Iwouldutilizecost,effort,&durationasmyprimarymetrics.89.Howareyoursoftskills?Canyouselltheprojecttoateam?Asasalesprofessionalyoumustfindthecustomersbuyingmotives.Onceyouhaveidentifiedtheirreasonforbuyingyoucanisolatetheirobjectionsandprovidesolutions.

    Whatarechangemanagementtools?STAT-StatforOracleE-Businessisachangemanagementsolutionthatprovides

    youwithincreasedvisibilitySimplifyR12upgradesReplaceKintanatoreduceOpExandfuture-proofOracleEBSsupportEnforceseparationofdutiesforimprovedcomplianceSimplifymigrationwithpre-andpost-migrationanalyticsAutomaterollbackthroughnativeobjectsupportSupportforfunctionalsetupsEvaluateimpactandschedulingofpatchesManageallappsfromonerepositoryforeasierauditing